Electrical relay



May 1, 1945. H. G. BLOSSER ELECTRICAL RELAY Filed Sept. 4, 1943 2 Sheets-Sheet l m m 7 h M 1 5 0x B B J R? H mm w IWMQMA S m H May 1, 1945. H. G. BLOSSER ELECTRICAL RELAY Filed Sept. 4, 1943 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 IN V ENTOR Herman Gfllwr p.

BY air Hi6 ATTORNEY Patented May 1, 1945 ELECTRICAL RELAY Herman G. Blosser, Pittsburgh, Pa., 'assignor to The Union Switch & vale, Pa., 3. corporatio Signal Company, Swissn of Pennsylvania Application September 4, 1943, Serial No. 501,231

7 Claims.

My invention relates to electrical relays, and particularly to electrical relays which are suitable for use in railway signaling systems employing for the control of signaling devices direct current which is periodically interrupted or coded at different frequencies in accordance with traific conditions.

More particularly, my present invention relates to relays of the type described in Letters Patent of the United States No. 2,300,790, granted to Robert M. Laurenson on November 3, 1942, in which the rate of operation of the relay when the relay is energized is determined by the period of oscillation of a relatively massive compound pendulum, and one object of my present invention is-to provide an improved bearing for sup porting the pendulum in relays of the type disclosed in said patent, which bearing shall have negligible friction and extremely long life.

Another object of my invention is to provide a bearing for supporting the pendulum in relays of the type described which bearing can be manuiactured more cheaply than bearings of the type heretofore employed.

According to my invention, the bearing com prises a horizontal flat surface formed on the pendulum and arranged to roll on a cylindrical supporting surface formed on a, cooperating hearing member. The positioning of the pendulum with respect to the supporting member is maintained by conical pins secured to the pendulum and cooperating with conical holes formed in the bearing member.

Other objects and characteristic features of my invention will become apparent as the description proceeds.

I shall describe one form of electrical relay embodying my invention, and shall then point out the novel features thereof in claims,

In the accompanying drawings, Fig. 1 is a vertical sectional view showing one form of relay embodying my invention. Fig. 2 is a left-hand side view of the relay shown in Fig. 1. Fig. 3

is a detail sectional view taken on the line III- I III of Fig. 2.

Similar reference characters refer to similar parts in all three views.

Referring to the drawings, the relay here shown is generally similar to the relay described and claimed in. the aforementioned Laurenson Patent No. 2,300,790 except for the bearing means presently to be described for supporting the compound pendulum of the relay.

The relay as shown comprises a contact carrying rocker I of suitable insulating material, such as a phenol condensation product, suspended by means of flexible strips 2 from a top plate 3, also of suitable insulating material. The rocker I is provided with a plurality of flexible-contact fingers 4 and 5, each of which cooperates with a fixed contact member 4a or 5a to close a contact 4-4a or 55a according as the rocker is swung to one or the other of its extreme positions. The contacts are disposed in pairs and are secured to the opposite sides of the rocker within vertical grooves which maintain the fingers in the desired vertical position, by means of studs 6 moulded into the rocker and provided at each end with a nut l. The studs 6 also serve to secure the lower ends of the strips 2 to the rocker, thereby electrically connecting the fingers with the strips. The upper ends of the strips are se cured to the heads of terminal posts 8 mounted on the top plate i. The positions of the flexible fingers when the fingers are out of engagement with the associated fixed contact members are determined by means of stops 8 which are clamped against the outer faces of the fingers by means of the associated studs 5, and which are so adjusted by bending them that the fingers will break the contacts in the desired positions in response to the swinging movement of the contact carrying rocker l.

The fixed contact members la and 5a are similar to the fixed contact members Hire and 18b described and claimed in Letters Patent of the United States No. 2,285,890, granted to me on June 9, 1942, for Electrical relays, and are adjustably secured to the lower ends of terminal studs i ll mounted on the top plate on opposite sides of the terminal posts 8 in a manner which is similar to that described in the said patent. It is believed to be unnecessary, therefore, to describe the construction and arrangement of these fixed contact members any further herein.

The relay also comprises motor means for oscillating the rocker between its two extreme positions to alternately operate the contacts at a constant relatively low preselected frequency. As here shown, this motor means consists of an electromagnet C having pole pieces Ho and Nb secured by means of studs IE to the plate portions l3a and I319 of a frame 43 in parallel spaced relation and connected together at one end by a core I 4 surrounded by a winding 45.

The frame I3 is suspended from the top plate I, and has its main or upper part formed from a single piece of material bent generally into an inverted U-shape. The plate portions l3a and Hi) are of substantially trapezoidal form and terminate at their upper ends in spaced parallel arms l3c which form openings I311 through which positions.

2 certain portions of the contact mechanism of the relay can be viewed for inspection. Intermediate their ends the plate portions |3a and l3b are clamped together by means of studs l6 passing through clearance holes in the plate portions and screwed into tapped holes provided in the opposite ends of a bearing member I! which also serves as a spacing member. It will be seen, therefore, that the frame provides a rigid support for the electromagnet C.

The pole pieces Ho and Nb of electromagnet C cooperate at their low or free ends with a magnetizable armature H! which is secured to one side of the lower portion or foot of a compound pendulum P.

The compound pendulum P may have any suit-,

able form possessing within the limited space available the necessary mass to cause it to have a natural period equal to the desired code frequency, minute. dulum comprises a casting In the form here illustrated, this penconsisting of a central horizontal portion 20 provided at its opposite ends I with upstanding arms 28a, and provided intermediate its ends at one 'side of said horizontal portion with a central depending leg 2% terminating at its lower end in a foot 200 to which the armature I8 referred to hereinbefore is secured.

.ggiihe lower surface 20d of the horizontal portion 2i) serves as a bearing surface and rests on the bearing member H. The bearing member ll is cylindrical in shape except for a recess Ila formed in one side thereof opposite the leg 28b to provide clearance for the leg when the pendulum is oscillating, and the surface 20d is made fiat. It will be seen therefore that oscillation of the pendulum will cause the flat surface d to roll around the upper curved surface of the bearing member in such manner that a new line of contact is formed in each different angular position of the pendulum throughout its entire angular movement. The pendulum is maintained in the desired longitudinal and lateral position relative to the bearing member by means of longitudinally spaced positioning pins 2| provided with conical heads 2 la which cooperate with the conical upper ends of vertical holes 22 provided in the bearing member l1. As shown the pins are secured to the portion 20 of the pendulum at two locations at the center of the pendulum movement. These pins can, however, be placed at any location to definitely establish the position of the pendulum with respect to the cylindrical surface.

The pendulum P is operatively connected with the rocker I through the medium of an arm 25 the upper end of which is secured to the center of the rocker by means of one of the studs 6. The lower end of this arm is provided with bifurcations 2511 which straddle a transverse cylindrical driving rod 28 mounted at its ends in aligned holes 29a provided in the enlarged upper ends 20a of the pendulum P; The parts are so proportioned that oscillation of the pendulum P will cause one or the other of the bifurcations to engage the driving binding in any position of the pendulum.

With the pendulum operatively connected with the rocker in the manner just described it will be apparent that rotation of the pendulum in one direction willcause swinging movement of the rocker in the opposite direction, and the parts are so proportioned that oscillation of the pendulum through its normal amplitude will cause movement of the rocker between its two extreme Theweight of the pendulum assisted which may, for example, be '7 5 cycles per rod, in a line contact without by the friction of the bearing surfaces to sliding motion normally acts to keep the pendulum from moving to positions in which the pins Zia are out of alignment with the cooperating conical holes. However, excessive movement of the pendulum is also prevented by the arm 25 and driving pin 28.

The length of the pendulum P is such that the armature i8 is free to swing between the pole pieces I la and l lb, and it will be seen, therefore,

that energization of the winding I5 will tend to pull the armature l8 between the pole pieces and hence will swing the rocker in a clockwise direction, as viewed in Fig. 1. The energization of the winding t5 may be controlled by one set of the contacts 4-411. and 5-5a connected in series with the winding and adjusted so that both contacts are closed when the pendulum occupies its gravity biased positionbut that when the pendulum is swung away from this position one or the other of these contacts will become opened at a predetermined intermediate point in the stroke of the pendulum depending upon which direction the pendulum is swung.

It will be obvious that oscillation of the pendulum will cause the contacts 4-4a and 5-511 which are not used to control the energization of the winding I5 to be alternately opened and closed at the frequency of oscillation of the pendulum. These contacts may be used for coding purposes as will be readily understood.

One advantage of a bearing structure embodying my invention is that the friction between the bearing parts is negligible as shown by the fact that if the pendulum is released from a given maximum position and allowed to coast to a standstill the contacts on either side of the rocker will become alternately opened and closed for approximately times before the amplitude of the oscillation decreases to the point where the contacts are no longer operated. This is several times the number of contact operations that can be obtained under similar conditions with bearings of the types heretofore employed.

Another advantage of a bearing structure embodying my invention is that on the pendulum proper there are no wearing parts and no spring suspension which may become overstressed with excessive travel.

A further advantage of a bearing structure embodying my invention is that it enables the operative connection between the pendulum and the contact carrying rocker to be simplified.

A still further advantage of a bearing structure embodying my invention is that the bearing parts are easy to machine and assemble, so that the cost of the bearing is a minimum.

Although I have herein shown and described only one form of electrical relay embodying my invention, it is understood that various changes and modifications may be made therein within the scope of the appended claims without departing from the spirit and 'scope of my invention.

Having thus described my claim is:

1. In combination, a horizontal bearing member having a flat cylindrical surface, a compound pendulum provided with a flat surface resting on said bearing member in such manner that it is free to roll around said cylindrical surface in response to oscillation of said pendulum, and means for positioning said pendulum relative to said bearing member comprising a conical .pin in one part cooperating with a conical hole provided in the other part.

invention, What I to roll around said cylindrical 2. In combination, a horizontal bearing member having a cylindrical surface and provided with two longitudinally spaced vertically disposed conical holes, a compound pendulum provided with a flat surface resting on said bearing member in such manner that said flat surface is free surface in response to oscillation of said pendulum, and a pair of conical pins secured to said pendulum and cooperating with said conical holes to position said pendulum relative to said bearing member.

3. In combination, a horizontal bearing member having a cylindrical surface, a compound pendulum comprising a central horizontal portion provided at its opposite end with upstanding arms and provided intermediate its ends with a central depending leg terminating at its lower end in a foot, the underside of said horizontal portion being provided with a fiat surface which rests on said bearing member in such manner that it is free to roll onsaid cylindrical surface in response to oscillation of said pendulum, and a pair of conical pins secured to said central portion and cooperating with the conical holes in said bearing member to position said pendulum relative to said bearing member.

4. In combination, a horizontal bearing member having a cylindrical surface, a compound pendulum comprising a central horizontal portion provided at its opposite ends with upstanding arms and provided intermediat its ends with a central depending leg terminating at its lower end in a foot, the underside of said horizontal portion being provided with a flat surface which rests on said bearing member in such manner that it is free to roll on said cylindrical surface in response to oscillation of said pendulum, and means on said horizontal portion cooperating with means on said bearing member to position said pendulum relative to said bearing member.

5. In combination, a horizontal bearing member having a cylindrical surface, a compound pendulum comprising a central horizontal portion provided at its opposite ends with upstanding arms and provided intermediate its ends with a central depending leg terminating at its lower end in a foot, the underside of said horizontal portion being provided with a flat surface which rests on said bearing member in such manner that it is free to roll on said cylindrical surface in response to oscillation of said pendulum, a pair of conical pins secured to said central portion and cooperating with the conical holes in said bearing member to position said pendulum relative to said bearing member, an armaturesecured to said foot, an electromagnet cooperating with said armature to cause oscillation Of said pendulum, a contact carrying rocker mounted above said pendulum a depending arm secured to said rocker and provided with a bifurcated lower end, and a transversely extending driving rod mounted at its ends in said upstanding arms and extending intermediate its ends between said bifurcations to operatively connect said pendulum with said rocker.

6. In combination, a horizontal bearing memher having a cylindrical surface, a compound pendulum comprising a central horizontal portion provided at its opposite end with upstanding arms and provided intermediate its ends with a central depending leg terminating at its lower end in a foot, the underside of said horizontal portion being provided with a fiat surface which rests on said bearing member in such manner that it is free to roll on said cylindrical surface in response to oscillation of said pendulum, a pair of conical pins secured to said central portion and cooperating with the conical holes in said bearing member to position said pendulum relative to said bearing member, an armature secured to said foot, an electromagnet cooperating with said armature to cause oscillation of said pendulum, a contact carrying rocker mounted above said pendulum, a depending arm secured to said rocker and provided with a bifurcated lower end, and a transversely extending driving rod mounted at its ends in said upstanding arms and extending intermediate its ends between said bifurcations to operatively connect said pendulum with said rocker, the parts being so proportioned that said rod cooperates with said arm to limit vertical displacement of said pendulum.

'7 Incombination, a horizontal bearing member having a cylindrical surface, a compound pendulum provided with a flat surface resting on said bearing member in such manner that it is free to roll around said cylindrical surface in response to oscillation of said pendulum, and means for positioning said pendulum relative to said bearing member.

HERMAN G. BLOSSER. 

